MIAMI – It didn't feel like a welcoming party. Not even close.
Kings rookies Donté Greene and Bobby Brown spent their first NBA game buried on the bench Wednesday in Minneapolis during a two-point loss.
It was the reflection of a reality they wish were different, as Kings coach Reggie Theus said neither will see much playing time until they prove capable of being more consistent.
While both players played their first official minutes during garbage time of Miami's 103-77 blowout (Brown logged 13 and Greene nine), they will spend most of their time on the bench until they gain Theus' confidence.
"Right now, I'm not 100 percent sure what I'm going to get from Bobby Brown," said Theus, who has gone to veteran Bobby Jackson to back up starting point guard Beno Udrih. "What I'm looking for, he shows me flashes of it."
The situation is similar for Greene.
"I have to be able to call on (Greene) defensively because there are a lot of great players at his (small forward) position," Theus said. "I could take a chance on him for two or three minutes, but in our situation those two or three minutes could be disastrous, so he's just going to have to work and wait his turn."
Before training camp, it was conceivable that both players would enter the season with roles. Brown, who played in Germany last season out of Cal State Fullerton, was given a guaranteed two-year contract (player option next season) after starring with New Orleans in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Greene was the focus of the Ron Artest trade with Houston, his talents the largest factor in the deal for Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie. And although Greene was only 20 years old, he averaged 22.6 points in the summer league in July (including a 40-point performance against Phoenix).
Yet after scoring 18 points in the preseason opener against Portland, Greene spent exhibition games either sitting or being unable to find ways to produce.
"It seemed like after (Portland), my minutes went down, and my production definitely went down," Greene said. "But at the same time, I feel I've been getting better, especially in practice."
Rather than sit idly by and wait, Brown said he would look to learn from the bench.
"I analyze the whole game, go over who I'd be guarding, what his tendencies are, strong suits of his game and what he does," Brown said. "You've got to. You can't just be sitting there watching."
García recovering – Kings swingman Francisco García remained out with a strained right calf and said he expects to miss another "week and a half to two weeks."
"I started running (on Thursday) for the first time," he said. "We'll see. I was feeling tight (Friday) morning, but it's getting better. I didn't know it was going to be like this."
After García suffered the injury Oct. 19, he originally expected to play in the regular-season opener Wednesday.
Read the Kings blog at www.sacbee.com/kingsblog.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.